Formatting Issues

Fix Copied Excel Data Changing from Calibri to Aptos Font

Emma Brown Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users experience unexpected font changes from Calibri to Aptos or Aptos Narrow when copying and pasting data or moving worksheets between Excel workbooks.

How to Fix Copied Excel Data Changing from Calibri to Aptos

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Copying data or entire worksheets from a source workbook and pasting it into a destination workbook in Excel.
Observed behavior: The pasted data automatically changes its font to Aptos or Aptos Narrow, overriding the original Calibri font, even if the user's default font settings are configured to use Calibri.

Before you start

Ensure both your source and destination Excel workbooks are open before adjusting theme styles. Note that Microsoft recently updated the default Office theme font from Calibri to Aptos, which is the underlying cause of this format inheritance behavior.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Destination Workbook Theme and Paste Options

Use specific paste options and update the workbook theme to prevent Excel from automatically applying the new default Aptos font to your pasted data.

When you copy data between workbooks, Excel attempts to adapt the data to the destination workbook's active theme. If the destination is using the new default Office theme (Aptos), your Calibri text will automatically convert. Adjusting paste settings or changing the active theme fixes this.

Copy the original data

Select the cells or worksheet in your source workbook that currently uses the Calibri font and press Ctrl+C to copy the data.

Use Keep Source Formatting

Right-click the destination cell in your new workbook. Under the 'Paste Options' menu, click the 'Keep Source Formatting' icon (a clipboard with a paintbrush) to retain the original Calibri font.

Revert the Workbook Theme to Calibri

To fix this globally for the workbook, navigate to the 'Page Layout' tab on the Excel ribbon. Click on 'Fonts' in the Themes group, and select the 'Office 2013-2022' font set, which uses Calibri as its default.

Adjust Destination Workbook Theme and Paste Options

Default Font Setting Limitations: Changing Excel's global default font via File > Options only applies to newly created workbooks. It does not stop a copied worksheet from inheriting the Aptos formatting if the destination workbook's underlying theme is set to the new Office default.

Solution 2

Manually Modify the Normal Cell Style

Edit the default 'Normal' cell style in the destination workbook to enforce Calibri across all standard cells.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Avoid Unwanted Formatting Changes with WPS Office

Tired of unexpected font shifts like Calibri automatically changing to Aptos? Try WPS Office. It provides a stable, user-friendly spreadsheet environment that perfectly preserves your original formatting without forcing disruptive theme updates on your workflow.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite.
2. Open your Workbooks: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your existing .xlsx workbooks.
3. Copy and Paste Seamlessly: Copy your worksheets or data. WPS Spreadsheet respects your original fonts, ensuring Calibri stays Calibri.

Perfectly preserves your original cell formatting, preventing unexpected Calibri to Aptos shifts during copy-paste operations.Offers seamless Microsoft Office format compatibility for saving and opening .xlsx, .xls, and .csv files.Lightweight and completely free to use without mandatory, unprompted UI or theme changes.Familiar ribbon interface requires zero learning curve for existing Excel users.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Microsoft Excel suddenly change my font to Aptos?

Microsoft recently updated the default Office theme font from Calibri to Aptos across all Microsoft 365 applications to modernize the interface. This update alters the default theme for new documents and affects pasted data if the destination workbook uses the new default.

Does changing the default font in Excel Options fix the copy-paste issue?

No. Changing the default font via File > Options > General only dictates the font for completely new workbooks you create from scratch. It does not retroactively change the theme fonts of existing workbooks or stop pasted data from inheriting a destination's active Aptos theme.

How can I permanently switch back to the old Calibri theme in Excel?

You can restore the previous look for a workbook by going to Page Layout > Themes > Fonts, and selecting the 'Office 2013-2022' font set. To make this permanent for all future files, you must save a blank workbook with this theme applied as your default Excel template (Book.xltx) in your XLSTART folder.

Will using 'Paste as Values' keep my Calibri font intact?

Not necessarily. If you use 'Paste as Values', the pasted data adopts the formatting of the destination cell. If the destination cell is currently formatted with the Aptos font, your pasted text will appear in Aptos. To keep Calibri, you must use the 'Keep Source Formatting' paste option instead.

Document & File Issues